Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Customize Ikea Furniture Legs With Paint

That’s right, Karl‘s legs are pale no more. After some thought we decided to give all 12 of our sectional’s cheap looking birch legs a coat of oil-rubbed bronze spray paint to deepen them and give them a subtle sheen and dimension that brown paint just wouldn’t offer. It was pretty easy except it necessitated a bit of Karl disassembly. Poor guy.

Karl Legs Wrecked Liv

But once we got all of those legs off it was as simple as sanding each of them with low grit paper by hand (I used 60 grit stuff I had around).

Karl Legs Sanding

Although the legs looked pale and stain-less, they actually had some sort of clear finish on them (here’s one before sanding):

Karl Legs Unsanded

So in order to get the best adhesion for long-term durability, we wanted to make sure to create the most gritty (and grippy) wood surface that we could. Hence the quick sanding step (here’s the same leg after sanding):

Karl Leg Sanded

It’s subtle in the pics, but hopefully you can see how the sandpaper stripped off that shine and left the wood looking raw and ready for paint (which always sticks a lot better to non-glossy surfaces).

And before I sprayed them, I also removed the little furry floor-protecting pads on the bottom since I didn’t want them to get all gunked up with paint. They peeled off pretty easily and still had enough sticky stuff left to go back on nice and securely afterwards.

Karl Legs Foot Pads

So after each leg was un-padded it was time for their little makeover. Here’s what I went with: Rustoelum Universal Metallic spray paint in “oil-rubbed bronze” with a trigger spray nozzle (here’s an affiliate link to it on Amazon for anyone looking for it). It’s pretty fumey stuff so I laid out some cardboard and did all the spraying outside while wearing a mask that I’m sure freaked out all of the neighborhood squirrels.

Karl Legs Rustoleum

Here are all of Karl’s legs after being doused with coat one of their new “spray tan” (I actually applied three thin coats for super even and non-drippy coverage):

Karl Legs Sprayed

Oh and for those of you looking for a few quick spray painting tips, here ya go:

  • Skip the cheap $2 stuff in favor of the $7+ quality stuff (I like Rustoleum’s trigger spray nozzle because it goes on thin and even and doesn’t get all over your fingers).
  • Always keep the can moving. If you’re a-sprayin’ your arm better be a-swayin’.
  • Keep the nozzle about 8-10″ away from whatever you’re spray painting.
  • You really want a mist, not a heavy wet coating.
  • Three thin and even coats are better than one thick and drippy one.
  • Spray paint has yet to go no-VOC, so apply it outside with a mask, and let it fully cure as long as the can recommends outside whenever you can (usually 24 hours, we try to double that just to be even safer).
  • You can “seal” any spray paint (to limit any off-gassing at all once you bring it inside) by applying two thin coats of Safecoat Acrylacq, which is low-VOC and non-toxic.

So once I applied my three supa thin coats of oil-rubbed bronze spray paint, I just let them “cure” outside for 48 hours (12 of them were spent in the sun and the next 36 were spent in the carport because I worried it might rain) while our living room looked like this:

Karl Legs Liv Room During

Yup, for two days that was the look. It was actually kind of fun to sit on our super low sofa. And Clara had a ball climbing on and off of it like she never could when it was up on legs. It was almost a shame to put them back on. Except for the fact that our living room looked crazy and getting off of such a low sofa while holding a 20 pound baby girl wasn’t exactly enjoyable.

Thanks to two days of outdoor drying time, by the time I brought in our newly bronzed legs they were nice and hard. Almost coin-like thanks to the oil-rubbed bronze paint that created a sleek finish. It’s hard to depict that in photos, but it has a nice metal-like sheen when you see it from different angles. And when the light hits it, it sort of bounces off and reflects like glass. Thankfully they didn’t smell all nasty and spray-paint-y after 48 hours of drying time outside (even when I stuck my nose right up against them like a weirdo). If they had I definitely would have applied two thin coats of Safecoat Acrylacq as I mentioned in the last bullet above though.

Legs Sprayed

Then all that was left to do was to stick those furry floor-protecting pads back onto the bottom of each leg and cheer John on as he screwed them back into place (he’s the allen wrench ninja of our house). Bam, Karl was back to his old self. Only slightly more handsome and dapper. And can I just say that it felt inordinately awesome to have the living room put back together again?

Legs Detail On1

See how the side of this leg seems to glimmer in the pic above? That’s the difference between choosing a metallic oil-rubbed spray paint and a deep brown paint or stain. That smidge of glitz just does it for me. But of course stain or paint could have totally worked too, it just depends what tickles your fancy.

Actually from certain angles and in lower lighting situations (like at night) it reads a bit more like a rich chocolate wood stain, which we definitely don’t mind.

Legs Detail 2

So just for kicks, let’s flash back to Karl’s legs when they were all pale and birch-y:

New Rug Whole Room

And here’s the man of the house now. The difference isn’t heart-stoppingly amazing or anything, but as far as details go, it’s definitely a bit less “look at my squat little birch legs” than the original look. Most of all, look how happy Beansie is about the change. Just kidding, she’s just psyched to be on her favorite rug ever with a few toys. Oh to be a baby again.

Legs Full

And it’ll probably feel even more cohesive in there when we add oil-rubbed bronze curtain rods to the window and sliders (along with all the other stuff we’re craving, like a big console table behind Karl and a larger entertainment unit to add balance). But for now we’re just loving how our giant $1,248 sectional looks even more like the too-rich-for-our-blood $4,496 version from Room & Board that we fell in love with a while back:

Sectional Room And Board

Yay for a little sectional elevating sandpaper & spray paint adventure. If only my blindingly pale leg problem was that easy to solve…

Psst- Check out the weirdest baby toy that we’ve ever seen (p.s. Clara adores it) right here on BabyCenter.

Comments

  1. Kristina says

    Ooh, I have been trying to decide what to paint an awesomely huge mirror my mom gave me to put over my couch. What do you think? Would it look too weird on a wood mirror frame?

    Reply

    • Sara says

      I actually used the exact same Rustoleum oil-rubbed bronze spray paint on a wooden picture frame and a framed mirror(the frame was actually plastic) and both turned out great. The paint has a bit of sheen to it so it loooked nice and rich.

      This Rustoleum Universal paint really does stick to about anything. I even spray painted my green vinyl shutters to black a couple years ago and haven’t had any fading or chipping. It’s worth the $6 a can at Home Depot.

  2. Kristi @ Addicted 2 Decorating says

    It’s amazing how such a small thing can make such a huge difference!! It definitely “elevates” the sofa…in more ways that one. :-D (See what I did there? lol…)

    I love that Rustoleum oil-rubbed bronze spray paint. I used it to paint three horribly-outdated brass faucets, and an equally horrific brass shower frame. The results were beautiful, and the finish is durable and long-lasting.

    Reply

  7. Michelle says

    I love it!

    I nabbed a huge mirror a few months ago that a neighbor had put outside to trash when they were moving. I love the shape and size of it, but the frame is actually also mirror (does that make sense?) and a little scratched and nicked in places. I’d love to spray paint it so it goes a little better with the rest of my room. Do you think this spray would work on a mirror? Do you have any advice on spray painting that type of surface? Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, we’ve spray painted mirrors before with lots of luck. Just tape off the mirror part with painters tape and newspaper (or a plastic bag) and spray the frame. You can scrape any excess paint off the mirror with a straight razor. Oh and if the mirror is really glossy you might want to sand it and use a spray primer like Kilz first for the best adhesion. Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  9. Loren says

    Wow it really does make a big difference!
    Not sure if you’ve tried them but art stores sell FANCY spray paint (it’s like 6-7$ a can) but it comes in AWESOME colors and is much better quality than the stuff you fine in Home Depot. I snagged a candy apple red and a happy bright green to use on my kitchen chairs and they worked wonderful. You can even get different shaped nozzles for the cans. But that’s more for making real art.

    Reply

  11. Giulia says

    Hey, it’s just like self tanning, you get the best results when you sand (exfoliate) your legs and it’s smelly too :)
    I have to get to this project on our list. I’ve been putting off our Karl’s legs for 14 months now, tsk, tsk, tsk.

    Reply

  12. Nikki T says

    Wow! Karl looks a million times better with his new ‘tanned’ legs!
    I just got IKEAs flyer this morning in the mail and I’m becoming more and more inspired to tape out Karl’s measurements on our living room floor…
    I emailed a furniture store that had the couch of my deams in thier flyer the other week…the couch was ‘on sale’ for $7000…regular $10,000!!! EEEKKKKK!
    Not until I win the lottery…..
    :)

    Reply

  17. Allyson says

    Oooh, I love the way that looks. I’m picking up a KARL of my own today for my first ever apartment solo (!!!) and I had been leaning towards the metal legs, but this looks so nice… I’m reconsidering…

    Reply

  19. Mike @HA says

    Look great! The light wood always screams “Ikea!” for some reason. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Ikea, but now it’s custom Petersik furniture :)

    Reply

  22. Kristin says

    Karl looks so much better now!
    We have looked for a new sofa for a long time (first for lack of money, them for lack of a decision, hehe.) and we will get a dark blue Kivik from Ikea, although we have considered the Karlstad as well, we just like the slightly higher back of the Kivik a bit more. No offense, Karl!
    A good sofa can really make a living room perfect, as Karl seems to be for you.

    Reply

  23. Christian says

    Karl looks SO MUCH BETTER. Looks amazing!

    Are you staining the floors dark eventually? Can’t wait to see what those look like if you do!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Nah, metal actually grabs spray paint really well (especially when the can specifies that it’s for metal) and sanding might create scratches that you see after spraying. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • Christa M says

      YIPPY!!! I have a trunk that is wood with metal, the metal has what looks like over-spray and it’s been bothering me, also the wood is a light birch color….now I know exactly what to do to the metal!! Thank you!

  31. Kristen Windle says

    Okay I have a few questions about Karl… We are consolidating and sold 2 couch sets (from l.room and finished basement) and are in the market for a sectional. How durable is karl? I want a sectional minus the chaise and have been stalking craigslist like crazy to no avail. Are you happy with Karl? Also, the color that you chose… would that look bad with a warm sand tone? Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So happy with him! So far he has stood up to a dog and a baby and two parents who eat on the sofa all the time. The warm sand tone would be nice too- it just depends what you’re going for (Burgers claws can snag certain fabrics so this dark almost-denim fabric was the perfect choice for us). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      For repetitive jobs like this spray paint just seems easier (since it can coat all 12 legs at once in a mist, instead of having to hold all 12 and brush on each side by hand). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  34. Jane in STL says

    That is my very favorite can of spray paint. I used it just yesterday to change the look of the shiny brass thrift store chandelier ($3.83). Once I get that can all shook-up I walk around looking for just one more thing to spray. So far I have sprayed the doorknobs for the screened porch, a candle holder, hinges for the old TV cabinet. What’s next? Once the can clogged when I had used about 1/2 of the can and I boldly returned to HD for a new one. Who knew?

    Reply

  35. Smarts Magazine says

    Crazy the difference such a small job makes. Mostly I’m just jealous that you can leave something outside for 24 hours. We are deep in a long sucky rainy season here in the Pacific Northwest. All spray paint jobs are on hold. Maybe June. Maybe.

    Reply

  36. Allison says

    Ed looks awesome with his new tan! Wonder if you could spray paint the legs on the side chair (at Burger’s desk) to match?

    Reply

  37. Hope says

    I love Oil Rubbed Bronze! It is my favorite. From curtain rods and faucets, to spray painted wood, the oil rubbed bronze look just makes me happy!!

    Reply

  38. Lauren says

    Amazing job on Karl’s feet. I love it! The Hubby and I are planning on doing something similar for our Karl. So glad you were our guinea pigs! Thanks YHL!

    Reply

  40. Jenn says

    Looks great!

    I have been waiting to see what you guys were going to do. I have the Karlstad chair/ ottoman and want to change out the legs. I was in Ikea last week looking at the silver legs, and my friend said “oh, you should just wait and see what they do on YHL before you decide.” We discussed your house quite a bit as we wandered around!

    Reply

  41. Sarah says

    I love the Oil rubbed Bronze look… totally worth it!

    And on a completely non-related note, I have been following your blog since you made an inspiration board for my friend’s kitchen almost 4 years ago. And to see your Give Away comment-number-bubble thingy going over 4,600 comments is just amazing :)

    Reply

  43. Jon says

    Looks great! I actually used this exact same product and color to update the aged, oxidized shiny gold hardware on my storm door (kickplate, handles). I absolutely loved the result.

    The door is fully exposed to the elements (afternoon sun, constant opening and closing of the door, etc.) and I am blown away with how well its held up. It continues to look great (knock on wood) and people have even mistaken it for new hardware.

    Reply

  47. Stella says

    Hi! I’m so happy I found your website, we’ve been in our home for two years and we’ve furnished most of it and mistakenly we bought a couch set that is white..well flash forward two years and we’re expecting our first in 4 months. White couches and children do not go along so I’m so glad to see the Ikea couch works for you! I’m going to get this same set up in our home b/c it seems to really work for you! Thanks for the great ideas!!

    Reply

    • Amanda says

      How many times have you washed them, or how often do you wash them? Is the colouring holding up well? I’m thinking of getting a Karlstand (just a smaller version ;) !) too in the denim-like fabric as well, and I’m hoping that it doesn’t fade in the wash.

  49. Kayla says

    Glad Karl chose the safer spray tan option as opposed to fake-and-baking. Lookin’ good Karl. Small change, big impact.

    Reply

  50. Lindsay says

    I’m jealous of how green your grass is! We still have snow up north. I have so many painting projects that I’ve been itching to do all winter. Come on spring, where are you?

    Reply

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